Blue Skies
by haikomori
Summary: "The funny thing about life is that it keeps going. All the good and bad things that surround you, all the pain and joy, is going to keep going too." And he looks to those skies that are endlessly blue and feels the truth both in the words and her hands.
1. The Strangest of Fantasies

**So...Omake time! Sorry I have been bad at replying and things-I feel bad since I used to be able to do it so often. But I complain about that more on my profile, for those who want to hear me whine. For now, I'll try to stick with Omake related type of stuff. **

**As some of you undoubtedly noticed, Omake and the Profile thingy won by a landslide. When it was all said and done, I was a mix of emotions. I will be frank in telling you that updates for this will probably be erratic. In fact, the reason I'm posting at all is because I saw an awesome trailer and it confirmed something for me. But that is beside the point. This can be updated frequently, or barely touched. And replying will be more difficult-again, see profile for more bits if you wish. **

**I was worried about what to open Omake with, but figured that contrary to Daybreak fashion, I'd do something more lighthearted. Hopefully, you'll all agree-and bare with me on my somewhat twisted sense of humor. But don't think you get off angst free. Oh no...it wouldn't be me if there wasn't an angst shot planned for the future. You will all drown in sorrow!**

**However, Omake will be filled with a plethora of things (hopefully). Deleted scenes, fanservice, dramatic backstory, and the like. Feel free to send me a pm if you have/had a question either about Daybreak or Omake. I will do my best to respond to it! **

**Sorry for the obnoxiously long note. I hope you can all hang there with me as I muddle my way back into things and deal with real life issues. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the ride!**

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><p>Lebreau sighed, shaking her head and leaning against the doorway of Snow and Serah's living room. Lightning watched her from her seat in the kitchen, raising an eyebrow when the woman sighed again. Rolling her eyes, Lightning pushed herself up and walked over to Lebreau, said woman glancing back at her at the sound of the chair scraping against the floor. Lightning only hummed, leaning against the opposite side of her and looking out to the living room as well.<p>

Maqui and Hope were on the couch, huddled together on the far right end of the sofa. Hope's head was resting against Maqui's good shoulder, his arms folded in his lap. Maqui's head was tilted back, his blond locks brushing against the wall behind him and soft snores leaving his open mouth. Hope's face scrunched for a moment and he gave a light groan, Lightning twitching at the action, but Maqui mumbled something while his head titled toward Hope's. Hope stilled the moment Maqui moved before his body relaxed further into the chair.

Lebreau sighed again and Lightning glanced at her, blinking. "What's with all the sighing? Problem with their sleeping habits?"

Lebreau looked over at Lightning, shrugging her shoulders as she twisted her body so that her back was split by the wood frame. "I was just...thinking, I guess," Lebreau muttered eventually. "About how things could have gone-about...how things may be now, if certain things had happened, or if certain people were different."

Lightning tilted her head to the side and Lebreau smirked, clapping her hands lightly on her legs. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't think that-" she gestured to Maqui and Hope, her smile widening, "-isn't cute?"

Lightning snorted and Lebreau rolled her eyes. "Well, all right, but you're a hardass. It's hard to impress you. And even if you don't admit it, seeing Hope all curled up like that is really adorable, in its own way." Lightning shrugged, causing Lebreau to huff.

"Whatever. If you're gonna be that way-"

"What were you thinking about?" Lebreau blinked at the question, but her smile slowly returned to her face.

"Well, you know how close Hope and Maqui are, right?" Lightning narrowed her eyes but Lebreau pressed on, her smile twitching. "And good friends, they hang out with each other. Spend time together, Bond. The works, you know? And it's not that uncommon for friends to become best friends or even-well, you know." Lebreau twisted her wrist, humming a little, but Lightning shook her head. Lebreau's face fell and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You serious, Light? Come on...I mean, it's kind of what happened between you and Hope, right? You had years together and once you were around each other a little while, suddenly things were heating up between the two of you..." Lebreau trailed off, shrugging slightly.

_She is not..._

_No-she can't implying what I think she is. There is no way she would go there-_

"I mean...it's not that unheard of, and if Hope went that way-"

"You're saying you'd think those two would hit it off?" Lebreau's mouth fell open at Lightning's brusque reply, but it quickly snapped shut when she saw the way Lightning's eyes were flashing. Lebreau thought she could even see a glint of red in her eyes and she found herself pressing harder against the doorframe.

"Well...maybe...you know, if Hope swung that way and Maqui swung that way-I can totally see that happening.," Lebreau tried, scratching her cheek.

"Hope is no-"

"I know! I know he's not! But if he _were_."

"Why are we even talking about this?" Lightning shook her head, but Lebreau's face lit up. Lightning glared at her-not just glared, but supernova nuclear explosion-glared at her, but the dark-haired woman went on unaffected.

"Well, come on, Light. Guys get to imagine girl on girl action, but we don't get guy on guy action? That would be freaking _hot_." Lightning felt her jaw crack with the strain of not falling open, her teeth clinking together and making an odd echo in her head. Despite this, despite the look of _fury _that was bound to be on her face-_Because there is no way in hell that I'm blushing, no way in hell. I don't care how hot my face feels, I am not blushing- _Lebreau kept going.

"I mean, sure, Yuj maybe would be just as likely, but he doesn't have the same history as Hope and Maqui have." Lebreau smiled, her eyes shut as she brought her hands to her chest, cupped them, and giggled into her fingers. "Maqui and Hope though? They'd have some good, potentially angsty stuff! And then, when they're about to make out, they'd get a chance to talk and all that emotion is just perfect for things like that! Yuj, he's too fiery, too 'I'm taking what I want'. I don't think Hope would go for that."

Lightning slapped the small space between her left eye and eyebrow, feeling a strong spasm develop. Lebreau chuckled, swishing her hips slightly as a blush spread across her cheeks. "You know though, I bet if Yuj came in after they 'got together', there'd be this really awesome threesome or something! Yuj would be just the right amount of outgoing for them-and that would take it to a whole other level. What if there was a triangle?"

_I won't kill her, I won't kill her, I won't kill her-_

"I can already picture it!" Lebreau sang. "Yuj trying to worm his way into Hope's heart, desperate to impress the lonely, silver-haired boy without crushing his already broken spirit. Yuj's confidence may help him, but when Hope isn't up to Yuj's advances, he might make Hope feel inadequate. But there's real potential in them growing closer if they pursue a relationship. Hope would feel more comfortable with Maqui though," Lebreau was nodding now, unaware of the growing danger as Lightning's shadow loomed over her. "The only real problem is that Maqui wouldn't help Hope grow as fast-maybe even enable some of his problems. But he knows how Hope feels and can even offer him a crux when he's feeling down! He'll be more patient with Hope! And don't even get me started on the rivalry between Yuj and Maqui-made harder by the fact that they are friends as well-and _good _friends! What of those two actually, accidentally, well, kissed! In the heat of the moment, you know? But Hope saw! Then we'd have a broken, crushed, even shattered-"

Lebreau's voice died when a loud thump sounded by her head. Her eyes barely caught the fist before it slammed into the wall next to her head, and they bugged out as they slowly, shakily, shifted to Lightning.

The most frightening thing about Lightning's face was how blank it was. There was no emotion-anger, annoyance, pleasure that she was about to land a fatal blow-just complete and utter blankness. Her eyes were flat, her mouth a straight line, and her body neither tensed or relaxed.

Like a wall.

A scary wall capable of blowing little Lebreau to pieces.

Bite-sized pieces.

Lightning stared down at her for a full minute, not so much as breathing, before she finally muttered into Lebreau ear, "We are going to talk later. Both about this-and how much time you're spending with Rygdea. And trust me...it will be a long, arduous...talk."

Lightning pushed herself up and away from her and Lebreau slowly let herself sink to the floor, her jelly legs no longer supporting her shaking body. Lightning glanced down at her, blinking once at the trembling hands and wide, fearful eyes. Briefly, Lightning smiled.

Then Lightning turned away from Lebreau's quivering mass and marched into the living room. She grabbed Hope by the collar, jostling both Maqui and Hope awake. Maqui started to grumble but one dead, terrifying look from Lightning sent his skin paling and his 'fight or flight' response into shrieks of "Flight! Flight! For the love of all that is good and merciful, _run!_"

Hope, his eyes still droopy, perked up at once from her deadly look and he squirmed in her grip, but Lightning's head snapped toward him and he froze, watching her, begging that death would be quick in the back of his mind. Lightning's eyes hardened and Hope prayed-

-and her lips smashed into his, tongue forcing its way into his mouth, and he had gone from cold with fear to hot with want. He groaned and Lightning smiled into the kiss, pressing closer to him and slowly turning her head, moving more slowly and running her free hand through Hope's hair. She felt Hope start to tilt his head up, his hand brushing against her leg, and his mouth moving almost desperately against hers. As she slowly pulled away from him she smiled at the glazed, satisfied look in Hope's eyes. Her chest hot and heart racing, she leaned toward his ear and whispered, "Bedroom. Now."

Hope nodded, dazedly pushing himself up and hurrying toward the stairs. Lightning's eyes stayed on him until his footsteps died, and then she turned to Maqui, her eyes dead and cold once more. "Stay away from my boyfriend. Or die."

Lightning turned to Lebreau, raising her voice slightly. "Quit fantasizing weird things about my boyfriend. Or die."

Lightning glanced upstairs, a smirk making her way to her face. "And do not come upstairs for at least half an hour-probably longer. Or die."

And with that, Lightning headed upstairs, leaving two suitably shaken NORA members in her wake.

And later, one very satisfied Hope.


	2. On the Subject of Kids

**Nomg, an update. You mean she's not dead?**

**Nope, but it might have seemed that way. Anywho, I finally got something else for you all and as always, I hope you enjoy. I don't know where it came from. It just latched onto my head and I wrote it. It's kind of short. **

**Also, because I'm kind of dim and didn't mention, this is an Omake_ (oh, shiny bonus material)_ of a story called Daybreak (for those who have come here and never heard of it). Daybreak was an M story, and this isn't...yet. So, yeah, there will be big, huge references to that story here. I won't make you read it, but there will be some parts that new, non-readers of Daybreak may be confused with here. **

**And thanks for all the reviews guys! You make me smile like a polar bear at the north pole. :D Santa's there-they better be smiling.  
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**Oh, will she update soon? Maybe. Hopefully. I'll try.**

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><p>Serah loved her sister very, very much. It was no secret to anyone. Serah would watch her sister with wide, admiring eyes and wonder where she got all that strength she used to conquer life. She'd wonder how Lightning was able to deal with all the terrible things that happened to Hope and fight all those battles and still come out looking like a total badass.<p>

Serah's heart would warm at the thought of Lightning stepping out of yet another hard won victory, blood smeared on her cheek and her hair looking a little mussed, but standing with such squared shoulders and high head that no one could question just how strong she was. How unshakeable. Unbeatable.

This affection intensified after Lightning and Hope got 'together' and with each passing day, watching the two of them interact, Serah would find herself wiggling in her seat and cooing at them as if they were her own children. Hazel was often nearby, looking up at her mother with a quirked eyebrow, but Serah's buzzing thoughts could deal with that easily.

_They're so cute!_

_Oh! She grabbed his hand! _

_They're sleeping together on the couch!_

_Oh-oh, I wish they wouldn't do that on the table._

However, one thing nagged at Serah. One tiny, little bug. She hadn't brought it up to Lightning or Hope yet because she knew they weren't ready and probably wouldn't be for a while-but Serah found the urge to talk about it hard to repress. After all, the way the two kissed and hugged and shyly glanced at one another and _not_ so shyly glanced at one another was enough to send normal people running and hopeless romantics sighing. And Serah was a bone-deep hopeless romantic.

In hindsight, she could have worded her question better.

"So...do you think you and Hope will be having kids?"

Lightning had been sitting peacefully at the table, a newspaper in front of her and a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. She had been half listening to her sister as Serah went around the kitchen, chattering about her day and pushing things back into their places and wiping up spots and strange orange food splashes from the counter. But when the question hit her ears, Lightning half-started before slowly creaking her head toward her sister.

"What?" The question was flat, her tone was flat, and her face was blank.

Not a good first sign.

Serah shrugged, putting the darkened sponge on the counter and leaning her hip against counter's edge. She didn't meet Lightning's eyes, choosing a a few strands of Lightning's hair instead. "Well, you know. Just a baby or-"

"I know what you meant." Lightning's tone was sharp and Serah held back a wince, pinching her fingers together behind her back. She glanced at Lightning, giving her a shaky smile when she saw her hardened gaze.

"I don't mean _now_ of course," Serah said quickly, shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her. "In the future of course. But, are you considering it?"

Lightning closed her eyes and Serah knew she was rolling them behind the lids. Could sense it-had known it since she was five that Lightning did that whenever she didn't want to 'offend' the person she was speaking with.

"Shouldn't I be having this conversation with Hope?" Lightning asked, opening her eyes and lifting an eyebrow at Serah. "I mean, it would really be-"

"I know, I know! But, I was just wondering if _you've_ ever thought about it, Light! I mean, I think you'd be a great mom!"

Serah didn't miss the way Lightning's eyes widened or how her lips parted at those words. Lightning shook her head, wiping her face blank as she stood from the table. "I don't know what you're getting that."

"You took care of me, right?" Serah asked, smiling. "And I think I turned out all right." Serah took a few steps toward Lightning, her smile turning into a grin. "So tell me, have you thought about it at all? Or has Hope asked you or something? Any tiny little hint?"

Lightning groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a step back from Serah. "Why do you even care about this right now?"

"Light! Come on, you're avoiding my question!"

Lightning sighed, shaking her head. She waved her hand in the air as if swatting a fly, rolling her eyes when she finally answered, "No. No, all right? I haven't really thought about it. I mean-I never really even thought that I would be in a-well, I just didn't think about it, all right?"

Serah's shoulders slumped and she looked down at the floor, biting her lip. _Oh...well, that didn't turn out the way-well, it did, but I can still hope, right? _

Serah shook her head, looking back at her sister and giving her a warm smile. Lightning stared back at her, eyes flat as she crossed her arms over her chest. Serah shrugged, tiptoeing around the room and winking at her sister, almost giggling. Lightning's eyebrow twitched and Serah's chest swelled.

_It's like we're little again. She'd always give me that look when I said something weird. The, "What the fudge are you thinking?" look. _

"Well," Serah finally said. "I don't want to pressure you into something you don't know if you want. So I won't." Lightning blinked, her arms falling back to her sides. Lightning nodded, reaching for her chair and briefly skimming the headline.

"But...I just want you to think of all the fun you could have. I mean, babies are cute and Hazel is an angel."

Lightning continued to stare down at the newspaper, even as the print started to blur under her eyes. Her fingers crinkled the page, some of the black ink rubbing off on her fingers. Briefly, she stared up at Serah.

"You know what I mean." Serah shook her head, looking toward the ceiling. "She's an angel most of the time. Besides, you and Hope would be able to become even closer. Trust me. When Snow and I had Hazel, it was just..." Serah trailed off, her eyes misting over. She looked at Lightning but was seeing Snow crouching to the floor, pressing an ear to her bulging body. Snow cuddling her as he pushed away his burnt toast and sausage lumps, apologizing for his inability to cook.

"I mean..." Serah said eventually, "it really does wonders." Serah shook her head, snapping herself out of her trance. Her cheeks warmed and she bit the corner of her lip when she noticed Lightning staring at her. Serah clasped her hands in front of her, shrugging her shoulder before walking up to her sister.

"And like I said, sis. I'm not saying do it now, or even five years from now. But...think about it, maybe? Talk with Hope? You never know and, believe it or not, I know you'd make one heck of a mom." Serah pulled up the chair opposite of Lightning, closing her eyes and smiling. "Just my two cents."

Lightning watched her sister, glancing down at the table when Serah opened her eyes again. Lightning folded the corner of the newspaper, swallowing once. "I don't know, Serah. But I guess...I guess I could at least think about it a little." Lightning heard Serahs' sharp breath and her eyes hardened. Lightning pointed a finger at Serah, tone dark. "Thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things." Serah blinked, her eyes wide.

"Double entendre," Serah giggled, snorting when Lightning groaned.

"Serah!"

"I'm sorry!" Serah gasped, shaking her head and covering her mouth.

"I didn't know we were twelve again," Lightning mumbled, looking away.

Serah rolled her eyes this time, chuckling as she grabbed one of Lightning's hands and pulled it toward her chest, smiling when her sister looked back at her. "All in good fun, sis. I promise." Serah's eyes softened and she stared down the eyes that mirrored her own.

_Just a tiny bit darker, and a little bit harder. But that's what makes you, you. _

Serah sighed, voice light, "I still want you to think about it though. I bet you and Hope would have a gorgeous baby. Imagine one with his hair and your eyes! Or maybe your hair, and his eyes and that slender jaw thing he has going on. Or maybe, one green eye and one blue eye. And you'd name him something cute, cause he's a boy now-"

"Serah-"

"Gabriel! That sounds great. Yeah, Gabriel sounds perfect! And he'd have one blue eye and one green eye, and Hope's fluffy silver hair and slender jaw, but your smoother, more colored skin. And he'd have your strength too, but Hope's sensitivity when he's older. And when he's a baby, he'll have a sweetooth that you won't indulge him in, but Hope will undermine you by sneaking him a chocolate bar! And then you'll want to plan a weekend getaway and realize: 'Oh! We need a babysitter!'"

"Serah, come on-"

"And then I'll fly in! I mean, think about it, Lightning! If you have a boy named Gabriel, I'd get to babysit him! That'd be fun! Hazel and he would become great friends and we'd have all these family bonding moments! Snow could drag Hope, Gabriel and Hazel out to the store and you and I could go out shopping across the city and wonder what are boneheads are up to. We'd wonder if Snow's gone and gotten them arrested or something because sometimes he just has that kind of luck. But we'd all laugh at the end! Family moments! That'd be great! Light-Light?"

Lightning leaned into the couch, her paper in one hand, a new, steaming coffee cup in the other, wondering when her sister would notice that she wasn't there.


	3. The First Visit

**Nomg guys. An update that didn't take a month? Is the world coming to an end? **

**...maybe. Naw, I'm just giddy because Skyrim is less than a month away! I keep going to my pre-order screen, smiling at the release date. **

**And I know it's been a while since I've done this (and I owe everyone replies soon...just need time!), but I was shocked! Anonymous-you've been around since Bad Beginnings was started? O-O That's, like, forever. Or it seems like forever to me. Just, wow. Thanks for dropping a line and I'm glad you've enjoyed these stories for so long! I'm glad you're not sick of me. *hugs*  
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**On a more serious-ish note, I have a few questions for you, my readers! One...did you guys really have any questions about Daybreak? Like, loose ends, or maybe just general questions or something? I feel bad for taking so long to fill in the profile bit, and the songs will be easy, but I'll also need questions (or need to know if there are enough questions to really put such a section there). If you don't feel comfortable submitting the question as a review, or if you don't feel like reviewing but want to ask a question, just pm me! The worst thing I'll do is talk a lot, promise.**

**The other thing is a tad more personal. As you can imagine, I've been thinking up stuff to put in here, and one thing I'm excited about doing is Saorise's past (and once that hits this little Omake, we are so going to a M-rating). But it will be revealing to the rest of her character and...I kind of want to do a comparison. What you think of her before and after you know about her. Like, your thoughts before her past, after her past, and see if there's a lot of little change. And, of course, I want to know what you thought of her (I'm so nosy). **

**However, since this doesn't have anything to do with the story (or at least, not this chapter), just pm me those thoughts, to those who would. And you don't have to! This is really just me being curious. Saorise has been...one of the most complex and evil characters I've ever created and worked with, and seeing how she both impacted the story, and you the readers as well, I want to know how she left you feeling. How you feel about her in the end. **

**So yeah, pm me those things if you wish! And enjoy! And accept my apology for the overly long A/N.**

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><p>"You can do this, Hope."<p>

Hope just closed his eyes and nodded, leaning into the back of the chilled leather seat of the cab. He swallowed when he felt calloused fingers on his hand, then brought his palm up and let Lightning's fingers lace with his. Hope nodded again and opened his eyes, glancing at Rygdea, then at Lightning, before looking down at his legs.

_I can do this._

His head was buzzing and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears, the pulsing following his heart. He looked out the window, the buildings rolling by in gray and tanned blurs, and he let his eyes mist over.

"_They'll ask you tons of questions. They'll probe you. Judge you. Sneer at you. Strength now, sure. But back then you didn't have it. Back then you were still just a weak, sniveling little kid, and you haven't graduated to much since. What makes you think you can look someone in the eye and tell them about what happened? About all the things you let happen to the people you _care _about?" _

Someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him until his head fell forward. Hope blinked and looked up, spotting the black leather of the seats before looking at Rygdea. The man's eyes were dark and he worked his jaw before speaking.

"Don't go down there, Hope. You'll be all right. Don't go down there though."

Lightning squeezed his hand, her eyes searching his face, and Hope nodded. He took a deep breath and for a moment, his heart slowed down and he thought, _I can do this. _

The car started to crawl and his heart screamed, _No, I can't._

"I can't go in there," Hope mumbled as the car screeched to a halt. Rygdea leaned up to pay the cab driver while Lightning pulled on Hope's arm. She opened the door and eased Hope out of the car, Hope shaking his head the entire way. "I can't go in there. I don't want this. Let's go home."

"You know we can't do that, Hope." Lightning's voice was flat and Hope flinched, lightly pulling away from her. Her grip tightened and he was led up the walkway, the cab slowly pulling away from the white colored building. Rygdea joined Hope on his left side, squeezing Hope's shoulder.

"It'll be all right," Rygdea said, smiling.

"You don't know that." Hope pulled again, harder this time, but Lightning didn't loosen her grip. They reached the clear glass doors and Rygdea led the way in. In Hope's head, the little voice was whispering, _"Don't go in there." _

"Please don't make me." The doors swung shut behind him, and Hope knew it was too late. Clean air hit him like a steamroller, lightly scented with lavender. The waiting room was baby blue, with little white carnations running along the paper. There were large, soft blue chairs lined in the room as well, with only two people seated amongst them. There was a lady with short brown hair at the counter, a clipboard in front of her and a pen lodged behind her ear.

Hope closed his eyes and took another deep breath, only to have it hitch when he heard his name.

"Estheim. Hope Estheim. Doctor Rilon will see you now."

"Oh...no, come on guys." Hope hated the desperation in his voice. How small it sounded.

Lightning released him and he brought his hand to his chest, breathing deeply and begging his heart to slow down. He shifted his shoulders, feeling eyes on him as he opened his own eyes and looked down at navy blue carpeting. He felt a big, gruff hand and a slender, firmer hand grab him on either shoulder and lead him toward another set of clear doors.

Hope looked up when they stopped, blinking at the woman he saw in front of him. She was tan-skinned, her long black hair held on top of her head in a bun. Her brown eyes looked at him through a pair of thick, black glasses, and she gave him a small smile.

Hope blinked but the woman's attention turned to Rygdea and Lightning, nodding at the two of them. "You must be Rygdea, the one I spoke with on the phone," she said, her voice airy and light.

Rygdea grinned and nodded, patting Hope on the back. "See, she's nice."

"You know that's not it."

Dr. Rilon's eyes softened and she looked at Lightning, tilting her head to the side. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are."

"Lightning Farron." Lightning was crisp, her eyes going up and down the psychologist, taking in every detail. Her relaxed stance as she stood in front of them with a small clipboard, her mauve sweater and black dress pants and flat top shoes, and the small gold chain that hung around her wrist. "I'm Hope's girlfriend."

Hope blushed, glancing at Lightning and smiling before looking back at the doctor. He hadn't noticed Dr. Rilon's quick nod to Lightning and Rygdea, or the tiny half-steps backward they had taken.

"It's good to meet you, Ms. Farron. Now, Hope, I can tell you're nervous. But you don't have anything to worry about yet-they recently got new magazines, so whenever you have to wait for me, you'll actually get to read something recent. For a little while at least."

Hope shook his head, glancing back when he saw Rygdea and Lightning take a full step back, but a light touch on his shoulder brought him back to Dr. Rilon. He swallowed, his right hand starting to shake and his throat and mouth impossibly dry. "Th-that's really not it, Dr. Rilon. I-I don't think I can really do this today." Hope's eyes widened as he was brought through the doors, Dr. Rilon's fingers tugging lightly on his arm. He shook his head, looking down at the floor.

"I-I think I need a little more time. I'm not ready for this yet." He was talking faster and his heart kick-started when the doors closed behind him, Dr. Rilon leading him down a hallway. "Or-or maybe I need to bring Rygdea or Lightning or something. I don't know, I just don't think..." He trailed off when Dr. Rilon stopped in front of a wooden door, the words Doctor Chinal Rilon stamped on the wood with black, blocky letters.

Dr. Rilon gave him a soft smile and pushed the door open. "It's not much, but it's better than some of the other offices. I have a couch and everything! Perfect for your usual psychologist, huh?"

Hope let out a shaky breath, stepping inside. Like the rest of the building seemed to be, there was navy blue carpet and baby blue wallpaper, although the doctor's had dark blue columns for a pattern instead. There was a bookcase shoved into the corner of the room, some books pressed neatly against one another, while others laid on the wooden shelves as if they had recently been picked up. There was a statue of an angel on one shelf, and several blue birds on another.

The door snapped shut behind him and Hope glanced at the indigo couch, sitting on it. He watched the doctor move to her desk, but instead of sitting behind it, she grabbed the black, cushioned chair and rolled it towards the front. She grunted when the chair caught between the small space between the desk and wall, pushing against it with several huffs before it finally came loose. Dr. Rilon shook her head, rolling the chair in front of Hope and collapsing into it, her cheeks dark.

"Sorry about that, not a lot of room to move in here." Hope nodded, biting his mouth and looking down at his hands. He jumped when Dr. Rilon leaned over in her chair so she could peer up at him, jumping and backing away from her.

"So, do you just want me to talk?"

Hope shook his head, running his hands through his hair. "I don't want to be here. I don't want to talk about anything."

Dr. Rilon nodded, sitting back up in her chair and straightening herself out. "I want to make one thing clear Hope, if you don't mind I call you that. You can tell me anything you want. Or you can tell me as little as possible. And no one, is ever, _ever_ expected to pour their hearts out on the first day. The first week. The first month. The first six months. The first year. Anything like that. Each case and patient is different. Everything is confidential, and you really control what's brought up in here."

Hope blinked, glancing up at Dr. Rilon through his bangs. He scrunched his nose, tilting his head to the side. "Then, what are we supposed to talk about?"

Dr. Rilon smiled, all her teeth showing. "Well, the best thing we can do right now is get to know each other. And I'm sorry to say, I can be a bit of a chatterbox, Hope. Anyway, what do you want to know about me? Ask me anything, and I'll do my best to answer."

Hope blinked again, shaking his head slightly and leaning back. "Um...I don't know." Hope started looking around her office, trying to find something to spark a topic. His eyes fell on her bookshelf again, stopping at the blue bird figurines. "D-do you, do you just like birds or do you..." Hope trailed off when he looked back at her, then letting his eyes snap back to his lap.

_Isn't this just the best? I wish I could get a few sentences out without feeling like a moron._

"Why, yes I do!" Dr. Rilon chirped. "I make birdhouses in my spare time. My yard is a tad full of them, and some have started to just pile up in my house, but I just can't help it. Sometimes I'll paint them, and other times I won't. I guess it just depends on the artist's mood, huh?" Dr. Rilon crossed her legs, smiling serenely. "Anything else you want to ask me?"

Hope fiddled with his fingers in his lap, swallowing again. Slowly his shoulders eased and he took a quick breath, cheeks warming at his next generic question.

"What was your worst subject in college?"

* * *

><p>Hope sighed as he walked out of the room, Dr. Rilon smiling as she followed him. As they approached the clear doors, Lightning and Rygdea both stood up, meeting them as they entered the waiting room.<p>

Dr. Rilon nodded, turning to Rygdea. "We had a really nice session today, Rygdea. I'll talk to you again for the appointment next week, and if you want to make any changes, just let me know." Rygdea nodded, grinning as he clapped Hope on the back.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Rygdea asked, taking the clipboard Dr. Rilon handed him and signing a few lines on the pages, skimming the text before and after.

"I guess not," Hope mumbled, smiling slightly when Lightning gently shoved his shoulder.

"Don't sell yourself short, Hope. You were great." Dr. Rilon gave him one more toothy smile, her eyes softening. "I'll see you next week. Maybe I can learn a bit about you. Like your favorite color maybe? Or you can tell me what school was like. Or..." Dr. Rilon glanced at Lightning, smiling and bobbing her head. "Who knows?"

Hope smirked, feeling hot around his neck. "Yeah, who knows."

Dr. Rilon shook his hand, then thanked Rygdea when he handed the clipboard back. The woman at the counter called another name, and this time a stout man stood and waddled over, taking off a ball cap and bowing slightly at the doctor. Hope watched as they walked down the hallway, into the very same room he had been in for nearly an hour.

"Are you all right? I know you weren't really sure about it, but do you feel better now that you've actually been there?" Hope glanced at Lightning, jumping when Rygdea pressed his hand to his back and started to lead him out of building, pulling out a phone and muttering about late cabs.

Hope nodded, smiling and grabbing Lightning's hand. "Yeah, I think I'm doing all right now. It's just-I was scared about what we were going to talk about. But...it turned out to be such small, little things. I kind of feel silly...for worrying, you know."

Lightning squeezed his hand and glanced at Rygdea, making sure he wasn't looking before pecking Hope's cheek. Hope chuckled, _Because men don't giggle, right?, _rubbing Lightning's fingers and taking a deep breath.

_Yeah, everything's okay. Way easier than some of the other stuff I've had to do._

"So, what is your favorite color?" Lightning asked, smiling lightly.

Hope blinked, glancing back at the building for a moment, then at Lightning. His eyes lingered on hers and Lightning's face softened, opening her mouth to speak. But Hope cut across her, still looking into her eyes as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Blue."


End file.
